Enhancing Treatment
Multiple Myeloma
About MM
Multiple Myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells with substantial morbidity and mortality, characterized by end organ damage—renal impairment, hypercalcemia, lytic bony lesions, and anemia. In the United States it is estimated that over 32,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2020. The overall 5-year survival rate for people with multiple myeloma is 54% and over 12,000 deaths from MM in the US this year are anticipated.
Challenges
Cancer cells, including Multiple Myeloma tumor cells, have a broad array of defects that cannot be fixed solely by precision targeting. Resistance has been a problem in classical chemotherapy for decades. There are many Multiple Myeloma therapies that yield remission, only to face relapse as tumors mutate and develop resistance. Developing therapies that safely complement existing standards of care by reducing the likelihood of resistance is a key to finally making Multiple Myeloma a curable disease.
Our Answer
TTX drugs are network therapeutics that are specifically designed to kill tumor cells and suppress the surrounding tumor micro-environent that perpetuates their growth. In preliminary animal testing, TTX drugs have effectively killed MM tumor cells and synergized with selected proteasome inhibitors to increase their efficacy.